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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. fork — in a road
  7. sharp — clever
  8. cell — in biology
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. suit — in cards
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. suit — to fit
  17. season — of the year
  18. suit — clothes
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cell — a phone
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. season — in sport
  23. current — of water
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com